Sand in the toes, salty ocean air, palm trees, sunshine, and of course, great food. San Diego might be one of my favorite places in the USA! I’m sharing all of the details from two of my extraordinary trips (Feb 2024 and Aug 2024) so you can also experience the ultra relaxing, delicious and fun sites and bites of San Diego.
Where to stay:
I was hosted by the incomparable Pacific Terrace Hotel in Pacific Beach. It was truly one of the best hotel stays of my life (and I have traveled quite a bit in my 32 years). I stayed in a queen suite with a full ocean view – it was absolutely spectacular. I could barely believe my eyes when I first saw the view! Not only did I have an amazing view, but the beds were so comfortable, everything was so clean, and I had a large fridge with a microwave, plates, cutlery, mugs and glassware. And the bathroom was spacious too. I loved every second of my stay, and it was so hard to leave this hotel (and San Diego in general). There’s nothing like waking up to the ocean waves each morning and watching the sunset from the privacy of your own balcony. You can learn more about Pacific Terrace Hotel on their website – they have tons of information about what you can expect at the hotel. Their staff is so kind and helpful (they answered the many questions I had!)
view from my room
on my balcony
They have two on site pools, ballrooms for events, dive in movie nights at the pool, on site water rentals their absolutely delicious restaurant called Firefly.
They also have no resort fees (most places are $30+ per night) but instead they have an optional bayside benefits bundle for just $19.95 a night you receive: free shuttle service to Sea World, half off the breakfast buffet, daily drinks for two, beach rentals, and upgraded wifi. (Hosted)
Where to eat:
El Sueno:
Located in Old Town, this restaurant showed up on the scene last summer and are serving up DELICIOUS Mexican food with an incredible huge patio and an aesthetic indoor seating area. I absolutely loved the lobster tacos and birria huarache, plus their drinks were a 10/10. A must visit in San Diego! (hosted and grateful)
Oscar’s Mexican Seafood:
There’s a reason this is a local faves in San Diego with lines out the door. I had the most delicious seafood spread and was pleasantly surprised by this casual counter service restaurant. They have three locations and I went to the one that was just a block from my hotel, Pacific Terrace. Watch this video for the full scoop and to hear all the details about this delightful local eatery. (Spoiler alert, get the seafood especial and have your life be changed; hosted and grateful)
La Clochette:
This quaint and dare I say Austin-like cafe is serious about their coffee, pastries and delightful menu. I had their cinnamon bread, almond croissant, and a smoked salmon croissant benedict plus a rose cardamom latte. Let’s just say that I so wish this existed in Austin, as I feel about the other places I visited in San Diego. Everything was incredibly fresh, there’s plenty of outdoor seating and it’s all around a 10/10 place for a quick coffee or a leisurely stay. They are launching a new menu next week (February 19) and I for one am bummed I’m going to miss it! This was a 10 minute walk from Pacific Terrace Hotel. (hosted and grateful)
Terrace Cafe:
This cafe is inside of Pacific Terrace Hotel and they have a great breakfast menu, plus happy hour from 5-6pm on weekdays! It’s a really great place to visit whether you’re staying at the hotel or just visiting, because you get those stunning unobstructed ocean views from the patio. I love their open faced egg sandwich and terrace cafe latte for breakfast, and their generous charcuterie board with an aperol spritz. Absolute perfection! (hosted and grateful)
The best lobster roll I’ve ever had; amazing grilled oysters and scallops
Super cute quaint cafe with incredible cakes and lattes (loved this matcha)
The vibes, the food, the location – they have it all! Must order the coconut shrimp and door of faith cocktail
Located 2 minutes from La Jolla beach; get the short rib cannelloni and enjoy their lengthy wine list
Located at The Dana; some of the best wings I’ve ever had but every single thing was 10/10
Health conscious, delicious smoothie bowls and light eats (perfect to take to go and enjoy on Mission Beach)
Went for the view and got lucky with a corner ocean-view table; loved the ahi tuna bowl and asked for it rare instead of seared
If you’ve been here awhile, you know I’m obsessed with them. I got to see where the magic happens with Chef JB – watch here to see the action!
What to do:
Balboa Park
I loved walking around this massive park – the cactus garden, the Japanese garden, the beautiful huge fountain in front of the art museum… there’s so much to explore! It’s also situated right next to the San Diego zoo which I had every intention of going to but decided last minute that I want to go there with my daughter and husband and not by myself!
Little Italy Market
The best farmer’s market ever! TONS of food, both food stalls/trucks and produce from farmers, loads of adorable artesian crafts, and just a beautiful atmosphere. Plus it was all really well organized.
Highlights for me were: skincare goodies from The Holistic Science Co, amazing seafood from Captain Jack’s, and (The donut from BomBom Bakehouse was fine but not the best I’ve ever had) I also loved the little shops nearby; I got some cute bowls from Vitreum and a jacket from Bobbi Rocco.
Old Town
Think of this is little Mexico. Beautiful shops, an old timey town square, amazing Mexican restaurants (this is where El Sueno is located) and situated up on a hill so you get great views of the city too. I loved walking around here! I got candy from an old school candy shop, some artisan crafts from a pottery shop and had delicious food too.
Of course San Diego has SO much to explore and I haven’t gotten to go to every single thing (the craft breweries and the Zoo to name a few) but I loved every minute of my solo trips! I spent a lot of time at the hotels because they were truly wonderful and so peaceful, and my August trip was full of relaxing at the beach.
I hope you find this guide to San Diego helpful – as always, feel free to contact me with any questions!
PS you can find more travel content here 🙂
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